


Journeying with the Jaded Legends

by SecretlyATomato



Category: Original Work
Genre: Amateur Writer here, Contains characters such as Grim Reaper, Fantasy, Imagination, Minor Character Death, Not necessarily original, Original (ish) Characters, Probably with add more tags as the story progresses, Random - Freeform, Spirits, grim, i really don't know what i'm doing, please be patient with me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:28:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29304990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretlyATomato/pseuds/SecretlyATomato
Summary: Daniel Breaker is an ordinary 15 year old boy, who lives with his mom. After her untimely death, he decides to go bargain with the legend, known as the Grim Reaper, to get her soul back. However, that proves easier said than done... no wait, scratch that. It actually seems really easy.Oh well. So much for an interesting description."Is Death really the cruel one?"
Relationships: All platonic/beneficial, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings!  
> This is my first post on this site and I am quite nervous about it; since I am fairly new to this community, and still learning. Kindly remain patient with me!  
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated!  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> This work was originally posted on Wattpad, by my good friend PacifistPlayer101. I am simply reposting it on this site (with permission, of course). I would appreciate if you could check out the original work there, and the creator. 
> 
> Thank you  
> Have a lovely day ahead!  
> :)

15-year-old Daniel Breaker was lying flat on his face, on the hardwood floors of his aunt's house.  
He had just returned from his mother's funeral.

He should have been sobbing, or at least upset. Some sign of sadness would've been painted across his features, but it was not so.

Now before you decide that he was a psychopath, let me fill you in.

The 15-year-old was not dejected nor overwhelmingly sorrowful as one usually is after the death of a loved one, because he was plotting. Ever since his mother was diagnosed with the fatal disease, he had started coming up with a plan.

Now to anyone with common sense, this plan would sound stupid. As it should've.  
But Daniel here was not the kind of person to think rationally about anything. He was reckless, to say the least. The fact that he once ran across train tracks because he felt like he'd be able to make it through without being hit by a train just proves that 'reckless' would be an understatement. The train nearly hit him.

What was his plan?  
Well, to understand that, you'd have to know the legend.

What legend?  
The one everyone in town knew. The legend of the **Grim Tower _._**

As the legend goes, if someone has lost a person or animal close to them and want them back, they must take an object of utmost value to them, and take it to the Tower.

Where is the Tower?  
In the North.

How far North?  
Nobody knows. It's a legend. It doesn't have to be specific. (Really, what were you expecting? It's a legend after all.)

Depending on which version of the legend you heard, different creatures resided in the Tower.

Some said it was Hades, the Greek god of the underworld himself.  
Some said it was Satan, the devil who led innocent souls astray.  
Some said it was a drunk hobo from the streets who partied too hard and was now living in the tower because he was broke.

But the most popular version of the legend stated that at the very top of the tower, you would find the Grim Reaper. The collector of dead souls and the one who punished those who had taken to a life of crime and misery.

This was the version that Daniel had heard and believed with all his heart.  
He had planned to find the tower, and demand his mother's soul back from the Grim Reaper.

How hard could it be? The Grim Reaper was just an immortal being who was extremely powerful. But Daniel was Daniel, and Daniel being Daniel meant he was stubborn and determined. His aunt Jen often told him he was stubborn enough to move mountains if he felt they were too far left.

Daniel finally stood up and brushed himself off.  
His aunt stared woefully at him, wondering if there was anything she could do to help the boy think like a normal person.

Sadly, Daniel was determined to get his mother back, and all his aunt's pleas fell on deaf ears.

* * *

"Danny, dear." His aunt called. He barely acknowledged her with a wave of his hand. She sighed and continued."I think you should get some rest. It's nearly 10:30."  
"10:30 is nothing, Aunt Jen!" Daniel announced proudly. "Why, I once fell asleep at 3 in the morning!"  
"Yes, yes dear. You've only mentioned that about a hundred times now." Jen interrupted.

Daniel looked at her, offended. "I do hate it when you interrupt me, Aunt. Now, if you don't mind, I shall go back to my scheming."

Rubbing her temples, Jen sighed. Her neat bun was starting to come undone, and she needed to get upstairs to freshen up in case anyone dropped in to offer their condolences. She definitely needed a break, her eyes red from crying, and dark circles present under her eyes. She was in no mental state to deal with her deceased sister's crazy son. Especially not after attending the aforementioned dead sister's funeral. She wondered how her late sister dealt with a boy like him.

She decided to give Daniel some time to himself.

As she headed up the stairs, she didn't seem to notice Daniel frantically hunting for something special.

As the legend had stated, the person would need to take something special to them. Daniel knew exactly what he would take.

There was a strange little snow globe in the corner of Daniel's room in his old house.

It was given to his mother by his father, who had left not long after he found out that she was pregnant with Daniel.

The snow globe seemed very strange. It was heavier than the average snow globe and less circular.  
In fact, you could almost say it was a snow cube. The figures inside this cube weren't as cute as usual, either: Two sword-wielding knights, sparring with each other. When you shook it, one of the knights would fall over, while glitter rained over them both.

Daniel related to it very much.

He didn't quite understand the rest of the people his age. He was obsessed with all things legends and myths and wasn't really interested in anything else. Thus communication about anything else was rather difficult.

And anyway, why would anyone want to hang out with a nerd obsessed with fantasy? Er- I mean, mythology and legend.

He hated when people mixed the two.

Plus, the snow cube was the only thing he had from his father. Despite him being a scumbag, it was nice to know that he was out there somewhere, and cared enough to give him a parting gift.

Shoving a few boxes out of the way, Daniel found his precious snow cube lying on the ground.  
Grabbing it, he shoved it into his small carry bag. Hopefully, the Reaper would like it as much as he did.

Glancing at the clock, Daniel brushed his curly brown hair away from his face. "I'll set off first thing tomorrow." He decided. "That way, I'll get more time to prepare." Throwing a quick look at the mirror, he gave a satisfied grin seeing his hair was somewhat under control. He looked presentable, which was a pretty big achievement.

Completely ignoring the knocks at the door, Daniel skipped up to his room, as his aunt rushed to answer the door.

Daniel pushed open the hardwood door of his room, as the light from the hallway flooded it, revealing a well-furnished room.

Whenever Daniel and his mother would visit the house, Daniel would make it a point to add a new item to the room, leading to it becoming quite cosy. At least, that's what Daniel said. Aunt Jen thought it looked untidy.  
But again, once Daniel had decided where he stood on a particular issue, it was near impossible to change it.

Shutting the door behind him, Daniel flicked the light switch and allowed the room to be visible.  
The blue walls of the room were covered in posters and portraits of the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian gods and monsters.

The floor was covered with a fluffy green carpet, while multiple figurines lay scattered on top of it.

The small bed in the corner of the room was neatly made, and the nightstand had a few empty boxes, once full of biscuits placed on it, with many other belongings of his "cluttering" up the nightstand. He rolled his eyes lightly as he thought of aunt Jen's lectures on keeping his room "tidy".

A hasty rough sketch of a map had been crudely shoved into one of the drawers.

In other words, the room was exactly how Daniel had left it.  
In a mess.

He was well aware aunt Jen wanted to get the room cleaned and he appreciated her not invading his privacy and nor destroying the overall comfortable atmosphere of his room.

Making sure to not step on any figurines, Daniel made his way over to the nightstand, his feet sinking into the fluffy mat, and pulled out the map that he had been expecting.

"Perhaps," he mused. "I could check the library for a better map of the Northern area. James may be a good artist, but unfortunately, he certainly isn't taking me nor this sketch seriously."

Daniel stuffed the bag with the snow cube in it in his pocket and made his way to the front door to prepare for his journey to the Grim Reaper's home.

"Danny!" Aunt Jen called. Daniel paused, his hand brushing against the doorknob. "Come greet the guests!"

Daniel sighed disdainfully. As stubborn as he was, enraging his aunt with guests around...well, that wasn't a smart thing to do. And Daniel prided himself on making the smartest decisions. At least, the smartest decisions in his eyes. Other people's... not so much.

He slowly approached the room his aunt and the guests were seated in.

His aunt waved him over to the table. Daniel walked over slowly, recognizing the couple sitting in front of his aunt.

"Ah, there you are Danny! Say hello to Mr and Mrs White! I'm sure you know them already." Aunt Jen smiled.

"Yes, of course." Daniel plastered a smile on his face. "It's a pleasure to see you again." Mr White used to work with his mother in a bookstore at one point. Whenever his mother would take him to work with her, Mr White would allow Daniel to read all the Mythology books in the store.

"We're very sorry for your loss." Mrs White spoke, in her smooth voice.

"Don't be." Daniel found himself saying.

The couple looked at him, shock visible in their eyes.

Jen cleared her throat loudly.

"You don't need to be sorry," Daniel repeated. "I'm going to get her back."

"The grief has driven him quite mad," Jen whispered to the couple, who nodded their heads somberly.

"I've been planning for days now," Daniel announced, the excitement of explaining his plan to someone new, filling his mind. "I'm going to find the Grim Tower, and demand my mother's soul back from the Grim Reaper!"

"Absolutely insane," Jen whispered.

Mrs White let out a soft snicker. "Aren't you a little too old to still be believing in those old legends?"

"It's just the first stage of dealing with loss," Mr White told her.

Daniel looked around the room, rather upset that nobody was believing him.

"I'm going to the library," he mumbled under his breath and walked out of the room.  
He could still hear them talking about him after he left.

Ignoring it, Daniel took out his library card and walked out of the door into the crisp, cool night wind.

The Library wasn't too far from the house, luckily.

The majestic building stood tall at 16 feet. The insides were warm and cosy, each of the rooms lit up by a powerful flame burning in the fireplace.  
The building was quite old but was well-loved for everything it had been through. Even after countless years, it remained a source of knowledge and heritage.  
It had been very well-preserved by the town council, which was something everyone appreciated. Especially Daniel.

On bad days, Daniel would often go to the Library just to read their multiple books about legends and mythology; and sometimes just to talk to the librarian.

The Library had a whole section dedicated to maps. Daniel knew this because he had wandered into it by accident while looking for more books to read. He nearly knocked over an entire shelf of old maps and got severely chewed out by the librarian.

Pushing open the old door, Daniel waved to Mrs Williams. The old librarian gave him her signature smile and went back to reading her newspaper.

Daniel rushed to the Maps section, making sure he didn't knock any shelves over. His chocolate brown irises quickly scanned a line of framed maps, looking for one of the Northern Region.

After finally finding it, he pulled out his cell phone and took a picture of it.  
Making sure the picture was clear, and that he could read it, Daniel walked back to the main door, waving goodbye to Mrs Williams.

"Leaving already, Mr Breaker?" she asked. "And without any books? What a miracle!" The dark-skinned lady gave Daniel a smile, which he gladly returned.

"I got what I needed, Mrs Willy." He waved the phone at her.  
"Finally putting that plan into action, are we? Good, I still have all the things you prepared right here." She pointed to a knapsack under the desk.

Daniel smiled wider. Mrs Williams had been a great help to his scheme. She was the one who told him about the legend. She was the only one who believed in him and his plan. Plus, she had agreed to store everything he prepared, since Aunt Jen would hate to have so much clutter in the house, and get suspicious if she saw him carrying a knapsack out of the house.

Suddenly remembering the snow cube, Daniel pulled it out of his pocket and placed it on the desk. Mrs Williams slid the snow cube into the front pocket of the bag, still smiling at him.

"I'm quite excited," Daniel told her. "I can't wait to meet him. The Grim Reaper, I mean."

Mrs Williams chuckled. "Tell the little sweetheart I said hi."

" _Sweetheart?_ Have you met him?"

Mrs Williams gave Daniel a mysterious smile. "I can't tell you that, Danny. Ask the Reaper when you meet them."  
Just as Daniel was about to ask her more questions, she cleared her throat.

"Well, goodbye then, Mr Breaker. I hope to see you again soon."  
Saying so, she ushered him out of the library and waved goodbye.

Mystified, Daniel trudged back to his aunt's house.

He let his excitement wash over him, as he shoved open the door to his room.

He could still hear the adults talking downstairs, but he was too tired to care.  
It had been a long day, and the following day promised to be even longer. Not bothering to clean up or take a shower, he flung himself onto the bed and fell into a deep slumber.

Little did Daniel know, that would be the last time he would get to sleep for a long time...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy reading!  
> Have a lovely day ahead!  
> :)

Daniel forced himself up from his bed. It was 3 AM, and Aunt Jen was definitely asleep. At least he hoped she was. 

He threw two or three of his books into a bag. The more important supplies were in the library. Miss Williams had said she'd leave the key to the library in the secret shelf. He tiptoed downstairs, suddenly becoming overly aware of every creak he made.

As he made it to the front door, he couldn't help but feel like he was in one of those spy movies. Just as he was about to open the door, he realised he was still in his bunny-patterned pyjamas. 

Slowly, he tip-toed up the stairs again, to change into more... appropriate clothing. 

Throwing on his favourite olive-green sweater, with black jeans and his grey sneakers, he was ready to leave again.

He tiptoed down the stairs, yet again, and as he was about to turn the doorknob, a voice called him. 

"Daniel? What are you doing?"  
Daniel cursed under his breath and turned around to face the cold stare of his Aunt Jen.

She was squinting at him and was trying to analyze why he was dressed up at such an ungodly hour.

He crossed his finger behind his back and replied with: "I... had a bad dream... mom is just gone and... I just... I just wanted to be somewhere I feel like she'd be... I was off to the library, but it's okay if you don't want me to go-"

"Ah... It's okay, just come back as soon as possible.."She gave him a wry smile.

And as he was about to head off, she held his palm and said: "Hey bud... I miss her too. Rebecca was a wonderful person."

Feeling slightly guilty, he was filled with even more determination to bring his mother back. That way, aunt Jen would be happy too.

Daniel nodded his head quickly and turned watched as his Aunt went back to her room.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he walked out of the door, as the fresh morning air blew against his unruly curls. 

Daniel skipped to the back door of the library, excitement filling his body once again. 

To the right of the door, there was a small shelf, in which Mrs Williams had placed the key to the back door. 

Taking the key, Daniel pushed open the back door and walked through the Library to the main desk. 

As he walked past the mythology section, he couldn't help but recall how his mother would read him the stories, and tell him about how one day, they would meet all the fairy tale creatures from the legends together. 

Smiling slightly, Daniel continued walking, stopping at the Romance section.

While he had never been a fan of romantic novels, his mother, Rebecca had been an avid reader. 

She never had the chance to have her perfect romantic story, so would instead become enraptured by the Romance novels in the Library.

Together, Daniel and his mother had often wondered how different life would have been if his father had been around.

But, his mother never made him feel like he was missing a parent. She worked hard and took care of them both, never complaining about the immense pressure upon her shoulders. At least, not to him. 

Daniel tore himself away from the shelves yet again and walked to the main desk. 

He checked under the desk, and there was his knapsack, the result of his many months of preparation. 

Stifling a yawn, Daniel shouldered the knapsack. It was heavier than he expected. 

He stumbled back to the back door, locked it, and carefully replaced the key. 

Staring back at the library one last time, Daniel sighed, and continued walking away. 

He walked a few feet and reached a large garden. 

It was locked, but it was easy to peer through the fence and look at it. 

Staring at the swingset still illuminated by the light of dawn, Daniel blinked away a few stray tears. 

He and his mother would often sit on that same swing set, and he would tell her about all his problems, while she would listen, and try to advise him. 

He also recalled the time he tried to jump off the moving swing and ended up with a broken arm. 

That wasn't quite as fond of a memory as the others.

Further ahead from the park stood the railroads. They divided the comparatively peaceful area of the town, from the ever-bustling shopping complex. 

Coincidentally, it was also the place that Daniel nearly got hit by a train. 

And the shopping complex, of course. 

Daniel would never forget how he would steal spare coins from his mother's purse, and sneak out to buy new sweets and snacks. 

Crossing the train tracks, Daniel walked through the shops.

Unsurprisingly, quite a few shopkeepers were setting up their stalls early.

"Oi, Danny B! What're you doing up and about so early?" 

Daniel turned around, and his face split into a wide grin as he caught sight of the fruit shop owner waving him over.

"Just thought I'd take a walk," Daniel replied, walking over to the vendor, knowing he wouldn't question it. "How are you doing Mr Etamor?"

Mr Etamor had been a close acquaintance to Daniel. He'd always offer him fruit from the stall when Daniel was walking back from school.

"I'm doing fine, boy. By the way, I heard about your mother. A fine lady she was. What a pity."   
Daniel felt his spirits dampen a bit. 

Shaking it off, he filled his mind with the prospect of getting his mother back and meeting the Grim Reaper. 

"It was nice talking to you Mr Etamor, but I think I better get going."

Mr Etamor eyed Daniel's knapsack but decided not to question Daniel. After all, it wasn't the first time he had done strange things. 

"I'll see you around then, Danny boy!"

Daniel gave the fruit shop owner a small smile and waved goodbye.

He lightly skipped along the route to take his mind off the fact that this would be the first time he'd be leaving town.

He hoped he'd make it out without his aunt catching onto his actual intentions. With that thought, he skipped faster, and away from the stall.

Skipping past all his favourite places, ignoring his ever-growing urge to stop, Daniel grinned as he caught sight of the gate that led out of town.

He pulled out his phone, making sure he had the map open.

Daniel paused, his heart beating out of his chest.

He felt excited.   
He'd get his mother back.   
He'd be a hero.   
He'd meet the Grim reaper.  
He'd do so many things that other people couldn't because they didn't dare to believe in legends.

"And I'm the crazy one..." he thought as he pondered on how his life would change. Hesitantly, he took a step pushing open the gate. He stepped outside. And then he ran.

He ran like he was being chased by bloodhounds. He ran deeper and deeper into the woods and set off to meet the Reaper.


End file.
